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Thanking You!

        It’s a week until Easter and I wanted to take this chance to remind you to tell the ones you love just how much you love them and let them know how much they mean to you weather it’s a friend that has helped you through rough times or a coworker that you know will have your back when the time comes. Thank GOD for putting those people in your life and letting them make a difference in it. Thank GOD for the time you have here on earth with your friends and family; the amount of time we are here is only a piece of sand in the hour glass. Look back on this last year and ask yourself if you were the husband, father, son, wife, mother, daughter, or friend that you could have been and figure out what you can do better this year to make an impact on someone’s life so that they might be thankful for you and you being there for them.
        As this Easter comes, remember and think about our military members past and present that have sacrificed so much to protect you and me. The ones that are away from their family’s beating sand with their boots fighting in a war that has no end in sight. Pray for them and ask GOD to watch over them and to use his hands and his angels to keep them safe. Pray for our veterans that have so much on their shoulders, that they find peace in all their troubles; they have done so much for our country and answered the call. I ask of you one thing and that is to just say thank you to any military member that you see past or present let them know that you support them and stand behind them.
        To all of you that read my articles and check out the Hillbilly Huntin website I want to thank you for supporting me as I try and make this site as entertaining and educational as I can. To all them men and women that have served or are serving that check out the site thank you for your sacrifices and if there is anything I can do for you let me know. Thank you all for your support; let GOD protect you and guide you on your journey through life as you walk the walk!

Weather this year and last

        Here in Missouri we are getting rain and snow tomorrow and should have some sort of precipitation for the next 4 days. Last year we had a bad drought that caused lots of problems for deer and other wildlife across the country. One thing it caused was blue tongue or hoofs and mouths whatever you want to call it. There was little water for deer to drink so a higher concentration of wildlife was forced to use the same water for drinking bathing and what not. Meaning deer were drinking the same water they were betting in to cool off. The deer population took a hit this year and I’m sure you have seen heard or found a dead deer near a water source. I personally found a very nice buck and a doe in the same area on some public land with no wounds the doe was floating in a pond and the buck wasn’t far from the pond.
        The precipitation we are getting now and have been getting will do a lot if we have a dry season this year it shouldn’t have as big an impact as last year. It’s also good timing for it the does need as much nutrition as they can get so they can give birth to healthy fawns. It’s also refilling the water tables that got so low last year the long effect of that is that the vegetation with deep roots that had even started dying last year should be plentiful this year.
        What could be a problem is this late freeze killing off the buds for the plants and vegetation that has started growing. This would mean that there would be less vegetation for deer to feed on. The long impact could be bad more deer that barely made it through the true winter may not be able to find enough food minerals and nutrition to survive and could die off. If the bucks aren’t getting the right minerals and nutrition there racks are going to be effected. When the racks start to grow they take minerals from bones to help grow there antlers. If there bones are already suffering there won’t be much for their antlers to take from. Meaning there antlers are going to be smaller and could possibly have non typical formations growing from them. This could be a year of crazy racks.
        With all that being said what we as hunters and avid outdoorsmen need to do is try and help them anyway we can since you’re not hunting you could throw out corn or some type of feed to get them through the first of the year. If you don’t want to put out feed put a mineral block or bag out giving them the much needed minerals they need to survive. Doing this will help you have a healthy deer heard this year and with that you have built a mineral site not for hunting but for the benefit of the heard. As the year goes on you can add minerals for antler growth and you have given yourself a benefit when it comes to hunting you know you heard is healthy and you have been supplementing them all year so the antlers should be affected in a good way.
        You can do all this on public or privet land don’t be selfish you’re not doing it for you or hunters you’re doing it to help the deer herds health and make sure they make it one more year. You can’t think well how’s this going to help me someone else might hunt here come deer season. If there is so be it you’re doing this for the heard not for you. But healthy herds will benefit you in years to come as you keep filling your freezer year after year.

Bow Hunting Camouflage

    To me I think the ultimate camouflage for bow season is a ghillie suit. The goal of a ghillie suit is to break up your silhouette and make you look like your surroundings. A ghillie suit is 3D when the wind blows the suit moves so you actually blend in with your surroundings. There are different types you have ponchos, suits, and blankets. There is an unlimited amount of color combinations so it’s easy to make the ghillie match your area. You can buy a suit or build one yourself.
    Some suits are heavy; some are light, burlap or synthetic. There are so many options that you can convert your suit to fit any environment. Now your choice is how you plan on using it. Are you going to be in a stand or on the ground? Are you going to hunt early and mid-season or late? These are questions you need to ask yourself before you start building or go to buy a suit. Next you have to decide if you want to buy one or build it. Buying one gives you less personalization other than what one you buy building one is very time consuming but can be personalized anyway you want. So think about how much time you have before you want to use it way your options as you make your decision. 
    I got a ghillie suit for Christmas this year but also plan on building another one I can easily personalize along with a back pack cover. The next article will be how to build a ghillie suit. So if you’re planning on building suits don’t miss the next articles. There will be an article for building materials and one for building your suit. Come back and check them out.

10 % off @ Buck Stone Creek

        I recently came apon a company called Buck Stone Creek they are a
discount store for outdoors and hunting equipment. You all know I can't
pass up a good deal but I'm not a coupon person because I want to get
in and out of the store. Well Buck Stone Creek is an online store.
They have contacted me and offered to give a 10% off coupon for there
site there products are already discounted so you would get even more
savings.
Buck Stone Creek has discounted and great deals on products that we
all use and need so click on the Bucks Stone Creek logo and when you
go to check out type in HillbillyHuntin to recive an additional 10%
off. Go check them out and happy huntin! www.BuckStoneCreek.com

Deer hunting Thunder Birds

            Right now most hunters are thinking about turkey season right around the corner preparing for that. Right now I’m going to talk about a few things that you can work on during turkey season. This few things will help you during deer season as you pursue the monster to hang on your wall. To start off with let’s talk about a turkey they make a lot of noise as they scavenge through the woods looking for food. Turkeys have large eyes and normally see you in your stand or ground blind during deer season. It never fails most places that hold good deer populations hold turkeys as well. 
            After saying that lets look at what a turkey is looking for as they walk through the woods. There looking for food (seeds, bugs, and other food sources), water, and protection from predators. They don’t use areas were they don’t feel safe. Now deer are traveling in the places they feel are safe with browsing food sources. Deer use funnels and travel corridors to travel through the woods with safe passage. When you compare the two the browsing food deer use produce seeds and the travel routes are used because they are safe. So it makes sense that deer and turkey would use the same areas to travel.
            You can work on your set up for deer as your trying you luck at a thunder bird. We are now going to look at your setup for the two. Most turkey hunters move often chasing thunder birds and hunt from the ground. So to compare that with deer hunting you would be using a ground blind of some sort. What you’re working on is camouflaging your ground blind and making sure yourself camouflaged is correct. If a turkey can spot you so can a deer. Using shadows and correct camouflage could make or break your hunt. During bow season for deer this makes an exhalent time to figure out what works best are you going to use a gillie suit or something along those lines or are you going to use a ground blind. This is the time to figure out what is working for you.
            Beyond your set up look at the area your turkey hunting and ask yourself why will the thunder birds be here? If it’s because there’s lots of browsing seeds that they will be scratching for and is in a safe travel corridor you can probably guess there will be deer using the same area. If you spend a little more time sitting still you can possible see deer moving through there. Don’t fret if you don’t see any deer they and in a winter pattern right now. If your chasing thunder birds and find yourself sitting waiting for them to work their way to you look around for old rubs or some new deer beds, and you could find yourself a rub line and a new place to hunt next year.
            The holidays are passed and chasing these birds through the woods is a good time to figure out if you need to work out and get back into hunting shape. Right now is a good time to figure out what shape you’re in and then think about deer season you will be possibly carrying a tree stand and bigger pack and more gear think about how you feel chasing these thunder bids and figure out for yourself if you need to get in better shape for deer season.
            Hopefully you get that elusive thunder bird this year and are able to use your time in the woods to benefit your deer season. Good luck this year and make sure to send any pictures you get and when you get your thunder bird send your picture in so we can post it in the 2013 game bag.

Tracking

        When tracking a deer that could mean many things in this article we will talk about tracking a wounded animal. The tracking starts as soon as you see the deer and when you pull the trigger. Make sure you know where he was when you pulled the trigger. Use the terrain and land marks before you pull the trigger to know where the deer was standing. If the deer runs off with its tail up you most likely missed if its tail is limp or twirling you have most likely hit your target. Watch him closely as it runs off pay attention to where it runs if it jumps or hits a tree make sure you know where it was. Make sure to stay quiet as it runs off listen for him falling then running again. You want to try and determine if he ran out of hearing range or is still within range when it stops running.
        You can determine where you hit by the blood you find if its dark blood it is most likely a heart shot or you hit a major artery. Bright red with white or bubbles is normally a lung shot. If there are squirts of blood that’s dark you have only hit an artery. If there are just drops of blood you have hit but not in the vitals and should give it a few hours. If there is green or stomach content in the blood you shot was far back and he’s probably running a long ways.
        Now that you have shot a deer and you think you have hit it and watched him run off and stayed still listing to him run when you can no longer hear it. Get up and slowly walk to where it was standing look for blood in that area from where he was standing looks the direction he ran. When you find the first blood drips mark it so you can find it again if you can’t find more down the line. Give it twenty to thirty minutes then start following the blood trail marking it as you go. If you could hear the deer crash it shouldn’t be too far away. Anywhere the deer jumped or bumped a tree should give you a good blood spot.
        Best of luck tracking your next deer and let’s hope you never can’t find you wounded animal.

Hunting over a decoy

            Whitetails rely heavily on their hearing and nose but sight can be a major factor. Just because you sound and smell like a deer doesn’t mean that buck will come within range you need the looks to go with it having a decoy in front of you will add that realism to your calling and scent and get that buck within range or at least curious enough to come in and give you a shot.
            Decoys are most commonly used by bow hunters and can be very dangerous for rifle hunters on public land or in areas that have lots of hunters. Using a decoy on heavily hunted property can bring un wanted attention from other hunters.
            The purpose of a decoy is to add the visual effect and bring deer within range. A decoy allows you to try and get the deer at the right shooting angle within range and stop the deer to get a shot.
            There are different decoys you have a 2D (paper target), 3D (looks like a deer), and 3D shooting target (bow deer target). You can add some realism to you decoy by adding movement like a white rag or bag to the ears or tail so when the wind blows and there is movement. Scent spray your decoy with scent that matches your decoy (buck or doe scent), and you can add real antlers. Keep your decoy scent free of human scent keep them stored where they get little human odor.
            A doe decoy in pre-rut in a feeding position makes it seem safe to come out. Rut a buck decoy should bring in a buck ready to fight him off. Post-rut a buck and doe decoy should work together well at this time because a buck will be curious about if she is in heat.
            When putting a decoy out choose a place with longer visibility ranges were you no deer walk through or will be and also were lots of deer activity is. Make sure to put the decoy within range and that you’re set up down wind or crosswind from your decoy. If your using a buck make him face you or broadside a doe should be facing away, broadside, or quartering away from you,
            Make sure to take your decoy with you when you leave. Leaving your decoy set up will take away from the realism of the decoy.

turkey season

        Ya know I mostly right about deer hunting but I thought I would give you all some input on how I turkey hunt. If you would like more articles on turkey hunting let me know and I will write some. The way I turkey hunt is simple I will walk out on a ridge before daylight and use an owl or crow call and try and locate a gobbler when I hear him I will try and sneak close to the tree he is roosted in and wait for him to fly down. After he fly’s down I will try and call him my way using mouth calls. If it doesn’t seem like he is coming my way I start slippint threw the woods until I get close enough I can see him then I start calling again if he still isn’t coming my way I will try and make a loop around him and cut him off to get a shot. If he changes direction I will just slowly try and get close enough for a shot.

        My tactics could change but I don’t have a lot of time to spend turkey hunting as time goes on I hope to have more time in the woods but as of now I don’t. I would like a few decoys and some more calls but that will come. My tactic is something I’m very good at I am using a ghillie suit so that helps. I will be hunting with a bow this year. I hope you all have great luck let me know if you would like to have more articles about turkey hunting and I will get it done

Here’s a picture I was sent isn’t this a sad sight?

Building a ghillie suit – materials

The things you will need:

Top and bottoms – old BDU’s or camouflage works well
A bad mitten or volleyball net
Juet or burlap
Shoe goo or industrial strength glue
Sowing needle
Unscented dental floss

If you’re using burlap you will have to dye it the colors you want
You will need:

Clothes dye
Tubs
Dowel rods or long sticks
Mixing or stirring sticks

If you’re planning on crawling in your suit or laying on your chest you will want padding this is what you will need:

Padded material like shoe insoles
Old shirt or blanket
Sowing needle and thread (a sowing machine works great)

        After you have collected all the materials it’s time to build your suit the next article will be about how to build your suit step by step so make sure you have decided and picked up your materials and don’t miss how to build a ghillie suit.

Big Deer Hunters

            Well today I’m going to talk about a company called Big Deer Hunters. They came up with the Original Buck & Doe Stick. This buck lure stick is made with 100% Premium Deer urine. No filler urine added! They have created two lures as of now they are Big Daddy, for the RUT season and Come and Get It, when the does are in heat. These products withstand the winters and the summers. Another great thing about this product is that it doesn’t spill, it won’t break if dropped from a tree stand, and rain won’t wash away the scent.  You can apply the lures on trees, rocks, bushes, scent sponges or on the heel of your boots. They also have cover scents and soaps. You need to go check them out and give them a try! Click on their logo to see what they have!

A Friends Story of a Monster

When: 09/01/2010
Where: Millsboro , Delaware, United States 
Who: Tom Payton
    It is September 1st, opening day of bow season 2010. I'm hunting a new property that I got permission for a month ago. There had been no time to do any aggressive scouting obviously. I was able to sneak in a few times to check what appeared to be obvious trails. I identified some old rubs, and a couple spots that had old scrapes as well. Although leaf covered, I could tell by the broken overhanging branches and conclaves in the ground, that there were some good bucks in the area. 
    I looked for a suitable tree to climb and found a good straight pine tree, only 20 yards from a good trail in that area. I was with my hunting partner, and had my climber with me. We took a little time and cleared a couple shooting lanes, trying not to make it too obvious, or to disturb the area. We were ready.
September first, that day we are itching for all summer arrived. I don't know how many hundreds of practice arrows I had shot staying tuned up and ready, but I shoot every day. I shoot from every position and every awkward position you can imagine. I am ready. 

The wind is perfect for the set up. We get there an hour and a half before daylight, because we both have to climb the tree, camera gear ect. We had plenty of time. We're all set up and daybreak comes. In the distance I hears crows goin crazy heading our way. Just before the crows fly over a great 8 pt. runs down the trail in front of me. I make a grunt he stops at 12 yards. No shot! He takes off. Got some good footage and he was dubbed the crow buck. On the hit list for sure. My buddy and I look at each other giddy as school girls. The first buck we see is an easy 140", and it's been light for 15 minutes.
The next 45 min changed my entire hunting season. About 20 minutes after the first buck came crashing through, I hear some branches moving and some what sounded like a buck rubbing his antlers to rid them of their velvet. Sure enough the sounds continue. After what seemed like an eternity, 20 min, a giant whitetail appears walkin slowly and browsing his way down the trail. He is probably at 75 yard when I can start making out how truley impressive he was. At 50 yard I can see a towering rack, velvet hanging everywhere. This buck has a drop time I said to my partner! He is nodding frantically. I said dude he has a extra main beam! He's nodding more frantically! I said DUDE he has a drop tines on that and points everywhere. He is trying to focus camera so I attempt to get ready for a shot. I didn't realize till that moment that my body was practically in convulsions. I couldn't stop shaking. The buck of a life time was heading my way. The buck continues to move in to a point i ranged at 20 yards and is going to be perfectly broadside. When he reaches that spot I grunt, he stops! I am at full draw , don't even remember drawing my bow. I can't get my Fever under control! The buck continues to stand in the opening. I didn't know your butt checks could shake that much! Finally i move sight right behind his front leg and start up toward his vitals. Just as I reach what appeared to be a good spot I release. The arrow flies right under his belly. I missed! At that point the buck lunges forward and walks quietly off. I was devistated. I looked a my buddy he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. I knew I was done for the day at that point. 

By the way he was so shook just watching the buck come in he had double tapped the record button on camera. We got no footage. 
    As fate would have it a week later we checked a camera down the trail from the missed shot and we got a great pick of the buck 12 minutes after I missed him. 
    We hunted hard for himm the rest of the season with only a couple glimpses and some good trail cam footage. 
    On the last week of our late shotgun season this great buck was harvested by.... Ladies your gonna luv this, a 10 year old girl sittin on her daddy's lap on a beighbors farm. Incredible! I guess he was meant for her. I was glad to have had the awesome experience of seeing this great buck, and to have experienced the encounter......
He scored 187 2/8

Thanks Tom this is a great story and im sure that 10 year old girl will be a life long Huntress now thank you for sharing!

Flag 

               A lot of you have heard about my flag and if you haven’t you can check it out on the October 2012 edition of Just My Thoughts. Right now our country is at a critical point in its history poverty is at a high, violence is through the roof, the government is talking about taking away our rights. We still have troops serving and protecting defending our freedoms they aren’t doing it for themselves they do it for the people and they stand for something bigger then themselves our troops are proof that we the people will stand and fight and put others first. As a veteran myself the flag is more than a flag to me I will defend it stand up and protect it and honor the meaning behind it. 
                My challenge to you is to think long and hard about what the flag means to you and share it with us here at Hillbilly Huntin. Do you have a flag that has special meaning to you? Why is your flag special to you? Do you have a picture of your flag send it to me I will post it and why your flag is special to you? Every time you see a flag does it make you think of something how do you feel when you see old glory waving in the wind?
                You don’t have to support the president, the choices our government makes, or anything else involving the government. Always support or troops any time you see a soldier, marine, sailor, or airman thank him or her. The sacrifices they make for every one of us is incredible they leave their homes and families they leave the country to defend us they answer the call they sign a blank check to the government that can be paid with their life. They understand that they may never come home to their families and they still sign the dotted line raise there right hand and give the oath against all enemies’ foreign and domestic. Support them at all cost if you don’t stand behind our troops feel free to stand in front of them. 
                If this offends you or if the American flag is just a flag to you feel free to never visit my site again. If you don’t support our troops and you think they are murderers you can contact me and maybe I will get it through your thick head that these men and women are real heroes that deserve the most respect you can give a person. 
                 Let’s hear what the flag means to you and share your story and pictures. We true country men need to show our support and us here at Hillbilly Huntin are trying to get it going viral so share with us so we can let the Hillbilly Huntin community hear your story!

Share your pictures and story by emailing it to me The Hillbilly or just your story on the Flag blog

The Hillbilly in Iraq